Care To Guess How Much 'Christmas Story' Star Still Makes Off The Popular Holiday Film?

By: Mackenzie Wright | February 10, 2018

'A Christmas Story' was released in 1983, and initially it didn't exactly draw crowds. The film had moderate success at the time, but it has since become one of December's most beloved holiday movies.

Some stations run it on a loop all day on Christmas, and for many families, watching it at least once during the holiday season has become a tradition.

The film is now considered one of the greatest holiday films of all time, and was in 2012 selected by the National Film Registry, which preserves films that are 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant'. One star had a minor role in the film, but he made a big impression with it. Zack Ward who played the red-headed bully Scut Farkus, recently told Page 6 that he's delighted to be part of the classic.

The 47-year-old actor was just 13 when he donned the coon-skin cap and tormented the kids in Hohman, Indiana, the fictional town where the story takes place. He says to this day, he gets a lot of positive reactions from fans.

“So many people come up to me and are like, ‘You got your ass kicked by Ralphie,’ and it makes them so happy,” he said. “I think they’re connecting to themselves as that little kid who had a bully and when they saw Scut Farkus get beaten up, they were just like, ‘Yeah!’"

"They greet me with a lot of love. It’s usually very kind.”

Ward was asked if he still gets royalties for the film, and if so, how much. Normally, actors will deflect such blatant requests for check amounts, but Ward actually came clean.

“You’re going to be so disappointed,” he joked. "It’s basically about $1,800 every two years … and it comes in in Canadian money because we shot in Canada.”

He says he puts the money in a special account he has set aside for his mother, in case she needs it in the future.

He did say there are other perks that come from the role. He gets a lot of hugs, and free beers - both of which are priceless.

“It’s incredible to be a part of something that is lightning in a bottle like that,” he told us.

Ward is still acting; he's most recently appeared in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "American Horror Story: Cult." Ward is also acting, directing and producing films, and he's lent his voice to some popular video games, such as 'Rise of the Tomb Raider' and 'Postal 2: Paradise Lost'.

Ward isn’t the only ‘A Christmas Story’ alum who has gone on to find success. His 'toady' in the film, Grover Dill, played by Yano Anaya, is a personal trainer who loves to go to conventions and meet with fans of the classic.

Scott Schwartz, the actor who played 'Flick' (the kid who got his tongue stuck to the flag pole), went on to star in adult films. He now creates celebrity-based trading cards and writes for Beckett, a sports card magazine.

Ian Patrella, who played the lead character's little brother, Randy Parker, owns a web content production company.

The star of the movie, Peter Billingsley, who played 'Ralphie', continued acting, then went on to work behind the scenes. He has produced such films as 'Iron Man' and 'Four Christmases', and directed films such as 'Couples Retreat' and 'Term Life'.